


Internal Machines

by NovaCeres



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cor actually tries to be good, Cor is a jackass, Fantasy, Feral Behavior, Flashbacks, Gen, Human Experimentation, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Magic, Mental Health Issues, Past Abuse, Past Brainwashing, Past Torture, Redeemed Villain, Shit goes down, Sword's scared out of her mind, boundaries what boundaries, but she also doesn't really know how, no beta readers we die like men, the tensions are so thick you can cut them, villain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24299149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaCeres/pseuds/NovaCeres
Summary: "Have you ever seen a flame so beautiful? "Sword took a trembling breath as she slowly dragged her eyes over to the blood-splattered figure. Letting out a muffled yell as yet another searing hot needle began to drive into her skin, she watched through pain-clouded eyes as they held her fire in their hands, full of greed and fascination."Your magic. So much power, so much rage... that is what makes it beautiful."~------------------------~~~--⯁--~~~------------------------~Once, Cor held the fire in her hands, caged and controlled beneath metal-clad fingers.Now, with her memory intact, and her emotions along with it, she begins to find that the flame has grown unruly... and so has she.~------------------------~~~--⯁--~~~------------------------~A short story following the events of the good Cor arc as both learn that neither is truly what they seem. With one may the wounds be sewn, and with the other may the scars heal.
Kudos: 1





	Internal Machines

**Author's Note:**

> After sustaining various injuries, a figure stumbles into Cor, seeking help despite the tense past the pair hold. Once help is received, though, its made clear that the figure isn’t quite a comfortable around Cor as she would like.

Bending down with a hum, Cor plucked one of the silky flowers, peeling the petals apart slightly to reveal a thick syrupy layer, sticky and sweet between the colorful petals. Humming out a satisfied tune, she picked a bundle and laid them carefully in her basket. Closing her eyes, she allowed her scent receptors to reboot as she took in the world around her.

It was peaceful, even if she was going to die. Maybe this was how she was to go out, alone in the fields of Tenebris, living in an old wooden house with nothing but nature surrounding her. It didn’t seem all too appealing, but with the circumstances considered, it wasn’t that bad. Twisting her disheveled arm, she noted the rust coating its socket and set a reminder to remove it tonight for a good cleaning.

In the corners of her vision an alert popped up, but she ignored it, keeping her eyes closed as she breathed in the sweet smell of flowers and the rich earthy scent of the ground beneath her. This was probably the reason why when the small, unkempt figure suddenly crashed into her, she stumbled forward so unexpectedly.

Regaining her balance, she felt the figure collapse at her feet, pressing their head into her robotic leg. Twisting down, she let out an audible hiss as she took in the figure. Blood ran freely from a wound in her hand, and she was shaking uncontrollably as she gripped onto the metal pole running the length of Cor’s shin. Her clothes were splattered with mud and torn in several places, ripped and thin from the battles they had endured. One of her gloves had been yanked off to reveal a horrid scar on its palm, lacerated even after healing. Tensing up as Cor bent down to look at her, she drew her limbs close to her body, tears dripping down her face.

“You-” Cor was taken by surprise, startled by the sudden appearance, “you’re bleeding.”

Bending down, she yanked the figure up by her arm, studying the various injuries she had sustained. The figure whimpered and turned her face away, feebly trying to shield herself.

“You didn’t think you’d come crawling back to me this quick, did you?” Cor remarked with a hint of satisfaction as the figure stared at her with pain-clouded eyes, “neither did I, but here we are. I’m going to _enjoy_ catching up.”

Picking her up, she swung the basket across her shoulder and headed back into the direction of the house.

~------------------------~~~--⯁--~~~------------------------~

Cor placed a firm hand on the metal arm. Gritting her teeth, she began prying it from the rusting socket, various wires untangling from inside the arm’s base. A soft hiss marked the release of the arm as the long, snaking pipe that ran into her back fell alongside the metal limb. Once spotless and cared for, the prosthetic was now rusted and tainted with mud. Laying it down on the table, she began to scratch away at the mess with a dissatisfied hum.

It was her fault, of course, that she’d let it get to this state. Cor hadn’t taken care of it these past few months and now had to pay the price of having one less limb. As a result, she wasn’t all too pleased. With this notion, the humming increased in volume, her glass eyes narrowing.

A light flashed in the corner of her vision display, and baring her teeth slightly she glanced at it. A waveform displayed itself next to a hazard symbol. Dropping the sneer, she sat up, stretching her amputated shoulder as she glanced around the room. With a roll of her shoulder, she felt bone snap against the familiar steel she had long ago placed in her skin, the metal cold and rigid against her muscle. Her glass-covered red eyes blinked a few times and she looked down at the huddled mass in the corner, her vision display marking them with a hazard symbol.

“Awake, finally,” she called, addressing the huddled figure that had been the cause of the waveform and hazard symbol, “just like the old days upon my ship. You always awoke right after me, with a look that could kill.”

Beneath the blanket, their ears twitched before dropping to the sides of their face, and the figure stretched the fabric further up over their head. Letting out a whimper, they drew themselves as close to the wall as they could, keeping a safe distance away from Cor.

“Now where’s that signature look of yours?” she reached towards the blanket, “come out from under there and show me.”

Her hand brushed the rough blanket and she seized the edge, pulling it partially off the figure. The figure let out a cry and immediately drew her arms up to shield her face. When the blow didn’t come, she cautiously lowered her arms, glancing around frantically before settling her eyes on Cor’s rusted limb.

“That certainly isn’t your look, is it darling?” Cor raised an eyebrow, her cold calculating eyes looking over the figure.

She stared back with frightened eyes that were full of tears. Peeling back her lips in a snarl, she let out a low hiss at the nickname. Her eyes flitted back and forth from Cor and her limb, and pulling herself back she gave the prosthetic wide berth.

“See? I took it off. Happy?” Cor gave a quick sarcastic gesture, startling the other figure and causing them to flinch, “I don’t have reason to use it.”

The figure’s eyes were wide with panic and discomfort. For a moment her lips parted as if she was about to say something, but with a glance towards Cor, and the memory of speaking out of turn, she shrunk back against the wall. 

“You have my permission to speak,” Cor scoffed, settling back in her chair, “since when were you so jumpy, darling?”

She only nodded her head slightly. Lowering an arm, Cor watched as the glove slipped ever so slightly to reveal a splotch of red beneath its coverings. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on the crimson mark as the figure caught sight of this and immediately thrust her hand underneath the blanket, letting out a whimper.

“Come here,” she reached forwards without hesitation, fastening onto her arm before she could react and tugging it out from beneath the blanket. 

Her hand went limp in Cor’s vice-like grip, and she faced away from Cor with a grimace. Pulling back the edge of the glove with her thumb, Cor let out a displeased sigh. Of course it was this. Placing a finger on the still-healing scar that cut through the once-glowing diamond mark, she painstakingly traced the wound as the figure faced herself away from Cor, tensing up as she expected a harsh blow to meet her back.

“When did He do this?” Cor questioned, glancing up from the scar.

She gave no response. Instead, she drew her legs closer to her body, wrapping her long tail around herself.

“When did Time do this. Answer me,” Cor spoke sternly this time.

“Y-yesterday,” she muttered, barely audible.

Cor let out a growl in response and immediately the figure began fighting her grip, twisting her arm as she desperately fought the stronger figure. Dropping her arm, she let the figure go and she curled into a tight ball, trembling as she let out soft whimpers.

Standing up, Cor picked up the rough blanket and threw it onto the figure, wrapping her in the fabric. Surprised, the whimpering stopped, and she ceased trembling beneath the blanket. Hooking an arm around the smaller figure, she hoisted her up with a grumble and brought her into the other room, tucking the blanket around her before setting her down. Beneath the blanket, she let out a soft grunt as she hit the floor of the room.

“I’ll go to my room, up the stairs to the left. Food’s in the kitchen,” Cor muttered, walking away, “door will be left open. It’s… night, so I’m going to sleep. You should too.”

Rounding the corner she stalked up the stairs, pulling herself up the railing with a grunt, her sharp metal feet connecting with the wooden landing. Tapping the side of her glass eyes, the light begrudgingly flickered off and she collapsed on the bed with a groan.

~------------------------~~~--⯁--~~~------------------------~

Sunlight cast its harsh face upon hers and she sat up with a jolt, stretching out her arm as best as she could. Grabbing her glove, she bit down on the fabric and jerked it onto her hand, covering the soft pink fur with its black casing. The yellow-trimmed edge shone brilliantly in the morning sun, and she gave a tired grin at the bright color.

Rolling her shoulders, she dragged her body over to the edge of the bed and pressed the button on her robotic legs, the magnetic base snapping onto her body. A few lights blinked as the mechanical limbs recalibrated, running through the setup code. With a sharp click, the calibration process ended and she stood up, brushing off her fur-coated torso. 

From somewhere in the room footsteps echoed on her display and she jerked around just in time to watch as a huddled figure darted out, scrambling through the doorway. On the rug in front of the door sat Cor’s limb next to a handful of screws and a vent covering.

“Oh, taken to living in the vents now, are we?” Cor called through the door, picking up her arm and setting it on her desk, “you know I left you a room.”

As if in response she heard the unmistakable sound of the figure lose balance as she tumbled down the stairs, followed by an abrupt scrambling of limbs against wood as she furiously attempted to pick herself up.

Letting loose a low chuckle she swung herself out of the room just in time to catch a flash of purple as she hauled herself into the vents.

“Darling, that’s not going to help,” Cor hooked her finger onto one of the grates and extended her legs, pulling herself up to the metal grid.

The shadow behind the vent fell back, letting out a guttural hiss.

“Did you eat?” she pried, pulling herself closer while drumming her fingers against the vent slats.

There was no response. 

“I will not allow a repeat of our days on my ship,” Cor growled, “you will eat, and you will come out, hear me?” 

From inside the vents, a harsh grunt was the only response, followed by the shuffling of limbs.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, she stalked into the kitchen and dug through the cupboards. Reaching in, she pulled out a piece of flatbread and a cloth tied shut with a piece of twine. Opening the cloth to reveal various pieces of dried meat, Cor pulled out two long strips and placed them on the flatbread. Gripping onto the bread, she tore it in half and wrapped it around the meat, forming a sandwich of sorts. Gently, she tucked a cloth towel around it and approached one of the vents.

“Food is set out. Eat, or I’ll use force,” she called. 

Sitting down in her chair, she watched the open vent with great interest as she sunk her canid teeth into the food. The dried meat was a tad bit spicy, but nonetheless it was good. Chewing on the jerky, she turned off her taste sensors, noting to use less spice next time. 

A slight shadow drifted out of the vent and Cor let out a hum to alert the figure that she was there. The shadow jerked back slightly before halting. A few seconds passed, and then with great caution, the figure poked their eye out of the vent. She turned and made eye contact with Cor, who raised an eyebrow as if to say “this is what you’re doing now?"

This caused the figure to dart back in with a low hiss, and after some hesitation, she opted to extend her hand for the food. Lithe fingers hooked around the sandwich and whisked it in, and within a matter of moments, the sounds of chewing followed.

“So,” Cor broke the silence, “why did you come here?”

The chewing stopped. It seemed as if the figure was considering her options, unsure of what to do. A moment passed before she cleared her throat.

“I… I don’t…” she stuttered, “I can’t…I came here-”

“You don’t trust me,” Cor interrupted, “I can tell that much, thanks to that damned Soul-Keeper. So why did you come here?”

“I can’t… you… you’re…” she drew panicked breaths, a low _thump_ echoing out of the vent as the cloth-wrapped food hit the metal interior, “you’re the only… you’re the only person I can’t hurt.”

She let out an unsteady breath, drawing her limbs in closer with a slight rustle of fabric.

“He made you hurt someone, yes?” Cor said after a moment.

The figures sharp breaths subsided ever so slightly.

“Y-yes,” she responded slowly.

“Xethia?” Cor asked.

Her breathing halted. Bingo.

“H-how… how did you?” she whimpered at the memory.

“Time may be insane, cold, ruthless,” Cor recounted, “He may be the most psychotic, unstable _thing_ to ever exist, but He wouldn’t be where He is if He didn’t have wits. If He learns anything, anything He can use against you… He turns that into everything.”

A minute passed in silence before the shuffling of limbs indicated the figure was finished. A discarded cloth was tossed from the vent and the shift of metal told where they were heading. Turning over her choices in her head, Cor stood up, creeping towards the vent with near-silent steps. Maybe it was time to choose a different approach.

“You can come out, you know. I won’t hurt you anymore,” she coaxed, wrapping her fingertips around the edge of the vent and peering into the labyrinthian pipes, “come on out, I won’t hurt you.”

The figure stared at her from inside the vent, shocked by the sudden sickly sweet voice that permeated the air, seeping through the foundation and finding its way towards her. It felt so wrong, so alien to her, to hear Cor speak so kindly. Freezing, she made eye contact with Cor, body low to the ground and ready to run. 

Bending down slowly, Cor brought herself to the figure’s level, gently unclasping her hand from the edge of the vent and bringing it inside the metal structure. She watched as the figure’s gaze wandered and settled on her gloved hand, the hand that had once brought her unmeasurable pain and suffering, the wretched awful gloved hand that had cut her apart and sewed her back together countless times. Without a second to lose, the figure sprung up, feverishly darting through the vents.

Slowly, Cor let out a scornful hiss, falling back on her knees as she registered her mistake.

“Shit.”

~------------------------~~~--⯁--~~~------------------------~

Cor didn’t see nor hear from her for the rest of the day. She had even gone as far as to trail along the vents, searching for someone, anyone, yet the results stayed the same. There was no one to be found. 

Of course, it wasn’t that she cared about the figure. What she did was up to her alone. No, rather Cor wanted to keep tabs on the figure. Her vitals had been unreadable since she had come, so it would be nice if she could at least know where she was. Having her greatest adversary die in a vent like a rat wouldn’t be all too preferable.

Setting the plate on the ground, she called out to her then went back upstairs, letting out a yawn as sleep once again gripped the few mortal parts of her body. Falling on the edge of the bed, she disconnected her legs and dragged herself under the covers, pulling the glove off with her teeth and setting it on the nightstand next to her. With a haphazard flick, she turned off the lamp beside her and closed her eyes as sleep overtook her body.

~------------------------~~~--⯁--~~~------------------------~

A hazard blared in her vision. Slowly she opened her eyes, ensuring that the lights were off. _Beep. Beep. Beep._ Twisting her head ever so slightly, Cor surveyed the room before noticing two bright shapes staring down at her, one duller than the other. A moment passed, and she realized it was the figure’s right eye gleaming brightest as they huddled in the vent above her. The hazard recentered itself over her, marking her outline in yellow. 

With a soft clang, the vent slid open and the figure dropped out, swinging herself onto the floor below. Carefully she crept forwards, looking over Cor as she remained as still as possible, hoping not to scare the figure. Quietly, she bent down and nestled beneath the bed, prying at the vent grate beneath it with clawed hands.

“That grate is sealed you know,” Cor cracked out, hanging one arm over the side of the bed, “welded shut, with no way to remove it. I’m your way out here.”

The figure stopped clawing at the vent and paused, going still.

“I will not bring you harm, however,” Cor continued, “you might still think that is what I want. I have no reason to harm you anymore, as you seem more than capable of bringing that upon yourself without my help. I simply would like to see where you are, that’s all. Keep… tabs on you, if you may. That you can trust.”

She stayed still, her breathing barely audible.

“W-why should I trust you?” she asked.

“Who else is there to trust. You know that, otherwise you wouldn’t have come here,” Cor responded, wrapping her fingers around the underside of the bed frame.

A few minutes passed and then… _pat pat pat_. Soft footsteps trailed the figure as she crawled out from beneath the bed, cautious and careful. Standing up, she looked over Cor, weighing her options. Cor moved her head slightly and the figure flinched, pulling herself back.

“Do not flinch, it’s unnecessary,” Cor muttered, slightly annoyed by how jumpy the figure was, “I am a woman of my word, and my word is that I will not physically harm you, Sword.”

Sword’s head shot up at the mention of her name and she stared at Cor with wonder and shock.

  
“Y-you didn’t call… didn’t call me…” Sword stammered, hugging her arms against her body.

“Vessel? For now, I’ll use your… informal name, if that makes you more comfortable,” Cor supplied, glancing over Sword as she fidgeted nervously.

Sword nodded slightly, staring down at the floor for a moment before returning her gaze to Cor.

“Th-there’s something else I came here for,” she whispered quietly.

“What would that be?” Cor pried, sitting up slowly.

“I...they… I came to warn you,” she started, “they want to find you… and…”

“And imprison me again?” Cor supplied once more.

“T-they... without Xethia they… rallied up the remaining guard,” Sword brought her hands together, fidgeting with her fingers, “they plan to… disable you, t-they have guns… and they want to s-shut you off. Forever. I had to f-find you… find you first.” 

“Hm,” Cor smiled, resting her head on one hand.

“You- you’re not concerned?” Sword asked, slightly confused.

“Darling, they are far less capable then they believe they are,” Cor flashed her hand slightly and suddenly two lithe, snake-like pipes twisted out from behind her and pinned Sword to the wall, “see? It doesn’t take much to render someone defenseless.”

Sword struggled against the pipes and they drew back after a moment, slithering to Cor. Rubbing her wrist where one of the metal grippers had held it down, she let out a whimper at the memories. Taking a few breaths, Sword slowly calmed down before continuing through clenched teeth.

“But t-they have guns, and they- they’re strong, really strong,” Sword looked down at her missing glove, pulling the arm inward.

 _It’s about time we make things interesting_ , Cor thought, carefully going over her words in her head before continuing. 

“How cute. You care about me, don’t you?” she grinned, playing her moves carefully.

Sword paused, alarmed. Cor let out a chuckle. The game was on, and the mouse was wandering right into the trap.

“W-what…?” Sword stuttered.

“It’s not like you can help it. I understand that much,” Cor grinned, edging towards Sword.

“No. No no no,” Sword crouched lower, “I don’t… I don’t care about you- this is another one of y-your mind games isn’t it!? You don’t even care, do you!”

“Maybe it is, and maybe I don’t,” Cor raised an eyebrow, amused by how adamant Sword was, “a game, just like the old days, eh?”

“No,” Sword spat out, back against the wall.

“Hm?” Cor asked, pulling herself to her legs.

“No, we are not- we are not playing one of your games again! I WON’T DO IT!” Sword spoke clearly, anger gripping onto her voice, “STAY AWAY, I’M NOT PLAYING ANYTHING!”

The warning was received by deaf ears as Cor stood up, her legs calibrated and functional. Stalking over to Sword, she leaned against the wall that Sword had her back to, standing above her with an intimidating grin. Sword barely shrunk, frozen in place by the red glow of Cor’s glass eyes.

“It’s alright, the game is over,” Cor bared her teeth in a smile, “I’ve already won.”

She let out a whimper and dropped to the floor below, trembling with fear. 

“P-please… stop…” Sword clawed at her face, tears falling with soft _clinks_ on the wooden floor below.

Maybe it was the way she huddled just so on the floor, so small and weak, or maybe it was the sound of her tears hitting the floor that caused this, but for a moment, Cor felt the slightest touch of pity for her. Letting out a grumble, she knelt down to Sword’s level. 

“The game is over,” she repeated, extending an arm to Sword, “come here.”

Her fingertips barely brushed Sword’s shoulder and she tensed up, fire rippling across her body. Jerking her hand back in surprise she watched as the flames slowly died down, sinking back into her skin.

“How dare yo-” Cor started, her tone furious and sharp before Sword interrupted her.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry, I’m sorry please don’t- please don’t…” Sword began crying, feverishly mumbling the same words over and over again through heaving breaths.

“I won’t do anything, and I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to, alright?” Cor stated, taking a deep breath to calm herself before settling back into a sitting position in front of Sword, “that was a bit too… cruel, wasn’t it.”

Sword gave a weak nod. Slowly she began calming down, mumbling every once in a while. A few minutes passed and she began untangling her limbs, cautiously watching Cor. In response, Cor gave a slight smile.

“Good,” Cor reached behind her, pulling off a blanket from the bed, “now hold still.”

Throwing it on Sword before she could react, Cor wrapped her tightly in the blanket once more and picked her up, swinging the smaller figure over her shoulder. Sword struggled against the blanket, pressing against the thick fabric and desperately kicking as she tried to get out. Letting out a grumble as one of Sword’s fists collided with her shoulder, Cor carried her down the stairs and dropped her in the room again, checking to make sure there were no vents she could crawl into. Beneath the blanket, she began twisting and turning, trying to throw off the cover.

“Do not go into the vents again,” she commanded, her tone harsh and strict as she grabbed onto the door handle, “or I’ll resort to force to bring you out. Understand?”

A mumble beneath the blanket confirmed that she did and Cor let out a tired sigh.

“Goodnight,” Cor grunted, shutting the door behind her.


End file.
